Match-box.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

T. W. MABBE.

MATCH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 5. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

I if

UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT EEicE.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,895, dated July 12, 1904.

Application lerl December 5, 1903. Serial No. 183,881. (No model.)

To all wiz/nn t may concern:

Be it known that l, THADDEUs WV. MABEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match- Boxcs, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in match-boxes.

One object of the invention is to provide a pocket match-box of an improved'construction whereby the box will be adapted for the reception of matches varying in length-that is, the matches placed in the box at one time may be of a different length from those placed therein at another time and yet be in a position to be automatically ignited.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for holding the matches firmly in place instead of loosely and also for igniting the matches, if desired, by the act of extracting them from the box.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the matchbox as it appears when opened and ready for the reception of matches. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view of the box after the matches have been placed therein. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the box, the lower portion of one side wall being bro-ken away to illustrate the movable support in the bottom for the lower end of the matches; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4 L ln the drawings, (a designates a receptacle of any suitable form, preferably flat and thin, and provided near its upper edge with a bead d, which forms a stop for the bottom edge of the lid L, which is pivoted at Z2 to extensions ff, that project vertically from opposite walls of the receptacle. Immediately above and extending' along the bead a one of the side walls of the box is provided with a horizontal slit c, which extends from the front wall toward the rear. This slit severs the said side wall of the box and forms above the bead an arm (I, which is bent so as to normally spring laterally away from the receptacle, and this spring-arm is provided at its free end with a flange al, which has on its exterior a depression or indentation (Z2, that forms an internal projection for a purpose to be presently deindentation d2 in the iiange CZ and serves as a 4 clip device to hold the spring-arm Z in the closed position.

A spring-operated catch device f, of any suitable construction, to hold the lid 7) when closed has position at the front of the box, and in the present instance is designed to be operated by a push-button f on the exterior of the box.

A iiat spring g has position in the bottom of thebox and forms a movable or yielding support for the head ends of the matches -to rest on, and this spring-support is constructed so that its supporting-surface may be moved vertically and at all times remain in a hori- Zontal plane. A y

/Vhen it is desired to iill the box with matches, the lid is raised and the spring clamp -arm Z disengaged at the front and allowed to swing outwardly, as seen in Fig. 1, and the box then is in readiness to receive the matches. y It is preferable that the matches to be placed in the box at any one time all be of an equal length; but it makes no difference what that length may be. They may sometimes be shorter and sometimes longer. The matches are now placed in the box with their head ends resting on the movable spring-support and their Lipper ends projecting from the open end of the box. It will thus be seen that the match-stems will all have position between the two serrated surfaces e; but the matches are free to be moved longitudinally. The finger is now placed over the projecting ends of the matches, and the latter are pushed into the box and the spring-support g compressed until the ends of the matches project above the side walls just far enough to be readily grasped and are then held in that position. The spring-arm Z is now moved toward the matches until the clip device on the fiange d will engage the indentation e, and when in this position the arm will have been moved close enough to the opposite serrated side wall to clamp the match-stems between the serrated surfaces e and hold the stems and spring-support pressed down. The clip device will then hold the arm in the clamped position. The iinger can now be removed from the ends of the matches, and it will be found that the spring-arm will clamp the match-stems tight enough to hold the springsupport g in the depressed position. The projecting ends of the matches may now be grasped one at a time and drawn from between the serrated surfaces e, the spring clamp-arm l being elastic enough to permit the withdrawal or' the match, and the stem being' withdrawn will be scraped or cut by the serrated surfaces, and as the head end of the match passes between said surfaces the same will be ignited. It will also be seen that the point where the match is ignited is remote from the heads of the remaining matches and all danger of accidentally igniting the latter is removed.

In Fig. 4 the spring-arm Z and the side opposite said arm are shown of a greater thickness than the lower portion of the box, for the reason that the head end of a match is larger than the opposite end and the interior of the box below the spring-arm Z is wider to accommodate the larger head end oi' the match, so that as the match is withdrawn the head willnot scrape against the walls of the box with enoughl friction to ignite the same before it reaches the serrated surfaces.

Having thus fully described my invention` what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

l. In a match-box the combination with a fiat thin receptacle having its broad side wall provided with a cross-slit, said side wall below said cross-slit being stationary and above said slit being movable to form a clamp-arm, means for holding said clamp-arm in engagement with the match-stems, and a lid pivotcd to the receptacle and arranged to fit down over said clamp-arm.

2. In a matclrbox the combination with a receptacle having a side wall provided with a cross-slit parallel with the top opening, said slit dividing the said wall into a lower stationary and an upper movable portion, said upper movable portion forming a match-clamp at the top opening of said receptacle; means for holding the movable portion in contact with the match-stems, and a movable or yielding support in the bottom of said receptacle on which the lower ends of the matches may rest.

8. In a match-box the combination with a receptacle provided with a bead near its open end and having a slit which extends in a direction parallel with said bead which divides the side wall of the receptacle into a lower stationary portion and an upper movable portion; a yielding support in the bottom of said receptacle which tends to project the matches from the receptacle; means for holding` the movable portion of the side wall against the match-stems to keep the latter and the yicld ing support from moving toward the recepta cle-opening and a lid arranged to swing down over the movable portion of the side wall.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TI-IADDEUS W. MABEE.

Witnesses:

G. FERDINAND VoG'r, SAMUEL J. WILLrAMsoN. 

